Pokeshipping Week 2016
by EchidnaPower
Summary: It's that time of year again, PokeShipping Week 2016 is upon us! And this time, I'm working with a very dear friend of mine to give these stories some extra color and dimension that they never could have had on their own. My best friend HollyLu. Jump in and see what we both have in store for this year!
1. The Ultimate Goal

**It's that time of year again! Pokeshipping Week! I have to say, I have a lot to thank these two for. Not only have they been my most successful couple writing for, but more importantly, they've brought me my best friend in the whole world. Holly, you're awesome, and I thank God every day that we've become such good friends!**

 **Now then, with a new year comes a new set of themes, and this time because of a bit of drama that took place with one particular theme, we contributors got the opportunity to play with an alternate set of themes that we could use to substitute any one of the themes we didn't feel like doing. So, that's what's happening here. The ORIGINAL first post was supposed to be centered around the new region, Alola. But, Holly and I (we're collabing this year, awesome I know!) decided we would rather do something else instead (she doesn't like the hat) and we're starting off with the theme "Achieving Dreams."**

 **So with that said, sit back and enjoy, and happy Pokeshipping Week everyone! I own nothing except the story.**  
_

Music began to play on the set of the Saffron News Network, the cameras started to roll, and the host of the show smiled into the lens as the teleprompter started to scroll and the live audience applauded until prompted to stop.

"Good afternoon ladies, gentlemen and Pokémon of all ages! I'm your host, David Michael, and you're just in time for our weekly segment of PokéCelebrity!" the dark-brown haired host turned to the next camera. "We have a very special treat for you all this week folks. We have not one, but _two_ guests to feature on this week's segment, and they don't come much bigger than these two. Give a very warm welcome to our special guests, here to talk about their cover on the official Pokémon Leagues Magazine, 'Trainers Weekly,' Kanto Elite Four member Misty Waterflower and Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum!"

All sense of decorum in the live audience was lost as soon as the names were announced, and the cheers only became louder when Ash and Misty came onto the set, and they couldn't help but kneel down and sign a couple of autographs for some kids who had escaped their parents to meet their idols.

Eventually they took their respective seats and faced David, and the cheers faded as the stagehands were able to signal to the audience to calm down and let the show continue. "Thanks for coming here today you two, and let me just say, it is a real honor to have you on with us."

Misty was the first one to speak up. "Thanks for having us!"

"Yeah, I've been on TV before during battles, but never for anything like this, although I do have a question."

"And what's that Mr. Ketchum?"

"Whoa," Ash put his hands up and sweat-dropped. "First of all, just call me Ash, that whole 'mister' thing is totally overrated to me."

David laughed and nodded at him. "Fair enough, Ash."

"Good. It's still gonna be a while before anyone can call me Mr. Ketchum."

"Well I can understand that, you _are_ the youngest person _ever_ to earn the title of Pokémon Master. So what was your question?"

Ash only got to open his mouth before he got a swift and surprisingly discreet kick to the shin that forced him to close his mouth to suppress a shout. "Never mind, it can wait until we go to commercial or whatever happens during these shows." he grumbled.

"Uh, very well." David cleared his throat and picked up a magazine that was sitting on the wooden table in the center of the set. "So you two are here today not just because of your respective titles, but you're also here to discuss how the two of you _both_ wound up on the cover of Trainers Weekly!"

The cameras zoomed in on the cover for the audience to see, and they began to applaud again even while Misty leaned forward to say something. "Now, we need to discuss that photo a little bit!" she said over the remaining applause. "We've gotta discuss that photo, see, there's just something about that photo that bothers me."

"Aww come on Mist, not this again!"

"Oh be quiet, I already know how you feel about this." she waved him off and directed her attention to their host. "See, Ash loves that photo, but there's just something about it that makes me look like I'm only fourteen years old. Not that I blame the photographer mind you, she did an excellent job, but I think it might've been the angle of my face."

Ash turned his head away and mumbled. "Or maybe it's because you covered up your br- ow!"

"Are you alright Ash?"

"Yeah, my shin just kinda hurts for some reason." he glared at the innocently smiling redhead next to him. "Anyway, I think she looks fantastic in that photo and I wouldn't change a thing about it. We both look awesome and it really shows how we're a great team!"

"And that's the other thing that the public wants to know. There have been duos and even trios featured in Trainers Weekly in the past, but they've always been either family or a tag-team at a particular Pokémon Gym or even a Battle Frontier location. But this is the first time that two otherwise unrelated Pokémon League members have shared the cover. How did this happen?"

"Well David, it's really simple. Ash and I have always been a team, even if we haven't always been together. So it seemed only natural that we would take the photo together, especially since we're both just getting started with our new roles in the world of Pokémon."

"And that's also part of your featured story in the magazine." David held it up again. "Ash, you recently defeated the previous Pokémon Master, Red, in an official battle held at the top of Mount Silver, which is why he's recently been seen vacationing in the Alola Region with his former rival Blue. Now obviously, we've all seen the battle take place, but can you tell us a little more about how you got to where you are now from your perspective?"

Ash laughed and looked up as he reminisced on the battle of his life. "Aww man, now that was a battle I'll never forget."

"Here we go."

The young man turned momentarily to stick his tongue out at the redhead sitting next to him, although the bemused smile on her lips robbed her comment of any possible malice. "You love it and you know it."

"I love _you,_ but your storytelling skills leave something to be desired in the truth department."

David raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean by that Misty?"

"Just that he loves to exaggerate for the sake of drama." she rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Don't worry, he doesn't lie in his stories, he just makes things seem like a bigger deal than they really were."

"But this _was_ a big deal Mist! This was the biggest battle of my whole life!"

"Yeah, it was." she took his hand into hers and patted it softly. "I'll let you indulge yourself in your creativity just this once."

"Well thank you so much." he scoffed, but didn't break the contact. "Anyway, sorry about that David."

The host chuckled. "No it's quite alright, it's clear you two have quite a bit of affection for each other. Please continue."

"So there I was at the top of Mount Silver..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _"You've done well to make it this far Ash Ketchum."_

 _Ash normally would've taken the praise as an honor, but with his adrenaline constantly pumping through his veins as he faced off against none other than the Pokémon Master himself in what was without a doubt the biggest battle of his life, all he could think about was the fact that he had somehow managed to whittle Pokémon Master Red's team down to nothing but his Charizard, which had yet to make an appearance this whole battle._

 _"I won't be satisfied until I've been declared the winner. Bring out your Charizard!"_

 _The Master smiled and pulled his final Pokéball off his belt. "Very well. But be warned, my Charizard won't be as easy to bring down as you think." he chuckled and threw the ball into the icy wind. "Go, Charizard!" With a flash of white, Red's Charizard appeared and unleashed a roar that could be heard as far as Cerulean City, where a certain recently crowned Elite Four member was waiting for the Master's challenger to come home._

 _Ash took some small comfort in knowing that his Misty was with him in spirit. She'd been crucial to his making it this far, without her willingness to train with him and offer her unique insight into battling, as well as just being there for him even in the toughest of times, the young man knew beyond the shadow of a doubt he would never have made it this far, beating each league's Champions and earning the right to challenge Red in the first place._

 _Red's team was predictable, Ash knew what to expect. His Pikachu went down easily enough as Red hadn't worked on nearly as many battle techniques as Ash had with his own Pikachu, who was now also down for the count and resting in his fur-lined backpack after getting Ash off to a good start by taking out Red's Pikachu and Snorlax, only to later be taken out in a brutal battle by the Master's Venusaur._

 _The rest of Ash's team had battled valiantly, but there was never a moment where Ash felt like the battle was his to lose. His own Charizard had managed to finish the job against Red's Venusaur as well as take out his Lapras, but once Blastoise came into the battle, no amount of Charicific Valley-honed strength could get him a third victory._

 _That darned Blastoise, it was the hardest to take out of any of Red's Pokémon. It was able to take full advantage of the freezing conditions at the top of Mount Silver by using its Blizzard attack to freeze Ash's Pokémon in their tracks, then quickly shifting gears to using a super-powered Water Spout attack to wash away Charizard, Sceptile, and even his Greninja which had long since returned from its duties in the Kalos Region._

 _It was only thanks to a herculean effort by his own Snorlax that Red's Blastoise hadn't taken out a fourth Pokémon unscathed. It was a strategy he loathed utilizing, but it was clear near the end of the match that he had no choice. He had taught Snorlax Self-Destruct to make sure he wouldn't go down without taking his opponent down with him, and that's exactly what he'd needed to do. He sacrificed Snorlax, and it paid off by taking out Red's Blastoise once and for all._

 _Which led him to where he was now, staring down Red's Charizard as it gave him a toothy grin as if he knew victory was assured._

 _Well, Ash wasn't going to let that happen._

 _"There's a reason I was saving this one for last...I was hoping it wouldn't come to this to be perfectly honest, but I should've known from the start that it wouldn't be that easy." he looked down at the Pokéball in his hand and missed the raised eyebrow Red was giving him. "I've learned so much, become so much stronger and learned all sorts of new strategies, and I've had help every step of the way..." he looked up at Red and glared at him, holding out the Pokéball at arm's length. "But this Pokémon, I had to raise on my own...because there's no one who could help me to use the aura inside me."_

 _"What?"_

 _Ash wound up his throw, "And now you'll see what the power of aura can do! Lucario, I choose you!" With a flash of light, a four foot tall jackal-like Pokémon emerged from its Pokéball, its paws glowing with blue energy as it stared up at its much larger opponent. "Lucario, it's up to you now. You ready for this?"_

 _"I am."_

 _Ash couldn't help but smirk at the shocked expression on the Pokémon Master's face. "It can talk?!"_

 _"Telepathy." Ash responded. "There have been other Lucario who have shown the ability to use it, but only when their aura is extra strong. Like mine."_

 _"Then I guess that means the kid gloves are off." The Pokémon Master pulled off his right glove and revealed a Mega Stone that was placed inside a bracelet. "This was a gift from Hoenn's former Champion, you know him well I'm sure."_

 _"Steven. Yeah."_

 _"Well I've very rarely ever needed to use this...but since you've brought me down to only one last Pokémon, I think the time is now." he looked at his Charizard. "Are you ready Charizard?" the dragon nodded at him. "Then let's do it!" the Master raised his fist into the air and the Mega Stone in his bracelet began to glow brighter as his Charizard was enveloped in a rainbow colored light and began to change shape. When the process was completed, an orange, streamlined Mega Charizard stood there just as the sun inexplicably began to beat down brighter on them, canceling out the snowstorm._

 _"That's right. Mega Charizard Y has the ability Drought...so looks like we get to thaw out for a little while." Ash smirked. "I'll have to make sure to thank Steven for giving me this before our match."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"You're not the only one who can use Mega Evolution, Red!" Ash pulled off his own glove and revealed his own Key Stone sewed into a bracelet seemingly made of cloth. "Let's even the odds Lucario, Mega Evolve!" With a flash of rainbow colored light, Lucario's height increased and its cream colored fur grew longer as its thighs slimmed down. More spikes appeared on the back of its now crimson red paws, and the aura coursing through it formed black markings on its fur. "One on one from here Red, let's see who walks away as the world's only Pokémon Master!"_

 _Red just nodded. "Charizard, Fire Blast now!"_

 _"Dodge and use Iron Tail!"_

 _The five pointed burst of flame went flying towards the Aura Pokémon, but it swiftly dodged the blast and ran up to slam its steel-hard tail into the fire/flying-type's stomach before jumping back to await further instruction._

 _"How do you like that Red?" But when he got no response, Ash tilted his head in confusion. "What's with the silent treatment?"_

 _"Charizard, Flare Blitz!"_

 _"Whoa!"_

 _Before Ash could even react, Red's Charizard had swooped in and tackled Lucario to the ground in a fiery inferno, doing massive damage to the mega-evolved Pokémon. "Now Fire Blast again!"_

 _"No ya don't! Lucario, Thunder Punch!" Before the blast could be fired, Lucario managed to reel back its fist and slam it into the fiery dragon's jaw, forcing it back as the super-effective move took its toll. "Now use Aura Sphere, max power!"_

 _"Focus Blast!"_

 _The attacks both fired simultaneously and collided, causing a huge explosion that blocked the view of both trainers. "Alright Lucario, are you ready?" The Aura Pokémon said nothing, but it turned back to nod at its trainer before closing its eyes and running into the smoke. "Aura isn't just about power...it's our connection."_

 _With its eyes closed, Lucario sensed the confused Charizard's aura and went on the attack under Ash's mental command as it saw the dragon's figure in a deep shade of blue. First a Thunder Punch to the gut, then an Iron Tail, a barrage of Aura Spheres and finally a Dragon Pulse, each attack further damaging the powerful Pokémon and bringing Ash closer to victory._

 _Then Red saw an opening._

 _"Blast Burn!"_

 _Just as Lucario was going in for another Thunder Punch, Charizard's eyes snapped open and its body became engulfed in blue flames, then it slammed its fist into the ground, knocking the Aura Pokémon off balance...and then Lucario gave a cry of agony as it was suddenly engulfed in a huge explosion of red-orange flame._

 _"Lucario!" When the flames dissipated, Lucario was on the ground, barely moving and fighting to stand back up as it glared up at the fire/flying type looming over it. "Come on Lucario, you can do this!" Ash looked up at Red again, and the Master again refused to say a word. "I dunno why you've suddenly gone quiet, it's pretty weird to be honest. But I can tell in your aura that you think you've won."_

 _Ash's accusation was rewarded with a slight lift of an eyebrow, which was all he needed for confirmation. "You're the reigning Pokémon Master for a reason Red, and for a long time I looked up to you, wanted to be you...it was my dream...but then I realized that it's better to be me. When I become Pokémon Master, I won't be trying to live up to your legacy, I'll be building my own! Lucario, let's show them what the power of aura can really do!"_

 _Lucario's eyes widened and glowed a bright shade of blue, and with a new burst of strength, its paws and feet started glowing bright blue as well as its aura unleashed its full strength._

 _"You don't need to say anything, I can sense you didn't expect that. You're considered the best Red, but you aren't perfect...and you just made the biggest mistake of your life. When Lucario takes damage, the aura it commands makes its power grow!" Lucario roared out a battle-cry and leaped into the air as it formed what appeared to be an Aura Sphere. "Alright Lucario...AURA STORM!"_

 _"Watch the power of aura!"_

 _"Charizard, Flare Blitz, maximum power!"_

 _The two Pokémon's strongest attacks collided, and with a bright flash of light, an explosion took place that completely covered the area, and the pained cries of the opposing Pokémon._

 _"Charizard!"_

 _"Lucario!"_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The live feed went down after the attacks collided, so I was stuck waiting until Ash came back from Mount Silver to find out who won." Misty looked at him for a moment and squeezed his hand with a tender smile. "When my oldest sister Daisy let him into the Cerulean Gym, he was covered in snow and looked like he was in shock...at first I thought he'd lost and I was getting ready to play the supportive girlfriend."

"Then I finally snapped out of it, and Misty keeps telling me she wished she'd had a camera at the time because apparently my face lit up like the Fourth of July." he looked at her and smiled. "I picked her up, twirled around with her in my arms and we celebrated all night long. One of my dreams had finally come true, I was a Pokémon Master, and I'm loving every minute of it."

"That's truly an inspiring story Ash," David nodded with a smile. "And it's especially interesting how you brought up Misty's role in your success. Has she always been that important in your life?"

"Well, she's always been one of my biggest motivators, and there's no one else I'd rather spar with when it comes to Pokémon training...but since we became boyfriend and girlfriend a few years ago, she's become much more than that. Like I said, without her, I don't think I ever would've gotten this far."

"For once, you're being too modest." Misty smirked at her boyfriend before turning back to their host. "I won't deny that I helped Ash get to where he is now, but the same goes for me too. Without him, I probably would have never been put in a position where I could become a member of Kanto's Elite Four."

"And you're still fairly new to that title yourself, having only been a part of that elite group of trainers for a few months now. So now it's your turn, tell us how you got to where you are now, being one of the strongest trainers in the world and on the verge of being named a true water Pokémon Master!"

"Well David, my story isn't quite as _exciting_ as Ash's, but what I went through wasn't any less challenging. You see, to be a member of the Elite Four, you need to have a true mastery of the type of Pokémon you specialize in, even if it's only unofficial."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _It was the least glamorous moment Misty had ever looked forward to in her life. After spending years honing her skills as the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, she finally got the call that she'd always dreamed but never imagined she would get._

 _There was a slot opening up in Kanto's Elite Four, and she was the first one on the list of candidates._

 _The call had come from Kanto's reigning Champion, Lance the Dragon Master. Despite losing to Ash mere weeks ago, Lance had retained his title as Ash had no desire to stay rooted to one spot. He was going for his ultimate goal, and now here Misty was with the opportunity to be only one step away from reaching hers._

 _She'd always said she wanted to be the world's greatest water Pokémon Master, but as a child she had no idea how much work that entailed. It wasn't just about being a strong battler, it was also about having the necessary knowledge of the specific type to deem yourself worthy of the title._

 _Obviously, being stuck in the Gym for all those years meant Misty's choice of Pokémon to capture in her own region was limited. But that's where her boyfriend Ash Ketchum came in._

 _As a traveling trainer, Ash had gotten the opportunity to revisit all of the regions he'd previously competed in, and knowing that Misty was aiming for her goal, he took it upon himself to be her proverbial arms and legs, capturing unique water Pokémon and sending them to her so she could get first-hand experience of what it was like to command them._

 _She still had her core team members in battle. Gyarados was her most powerful Pokémon by far, and thanks to the Mega Stone Ash had gotten her for her eighteenth birthday, her water-dragon's strength had only increased and her reputation skyrocketed._

 _She'd made sure she rewarded Ash for his efforts in spades._

 _Now though, she had to prove that her claims weren't just for show. With Koga deciding to retire as a member of the Elite Four, and Lorelei declining to take back her old position, there was an open spot and she had to prove she was truly a master of water-types._

 _Unfortunately, the first step in that process was an oral exam given by none other than Champion Lance himself. She felt ready for it, she'd learned so much about all sorts of different water Pokémon over the past few years, but the very idea of going in there and being put on the spot was causing her anxiety._

 _"What's the average weight of a Gyarados in pounds?"_

 _"518.1 pounds."_

 _"When it mega evolves?"_

 _"It goes up to 672.4 pounds."_

 _"What's the base speed stat of a Buizel?"_

 _"85."_

 _"Name all of the Pokémon classified as water/ground."_

 _"Those would be Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert, Barboach, Whiscash...Gastrodon..."_

 _"There's two more."_

 _"Uh..." the redhead wracked her brain for the answer. "Oh! Palpitoad and Seismitoad!"_

 _"Good job." Ash sighed and put down the study sheet Misty had given him to test her with as she waited for Lance to come and get her for the test, watching as his girlfriend paced back and forth. "You're good Mist, you've got all this stuff down, now can you please relax? You're gonna wear a hole in the floor."_

 _"Ask me another question."_

 _"Misty-"_

 _"ASK ME!"_

 _"Okay okay!" Ash picked up the sheet again and looked for a question that maybe he hadn't already asked her eight times in the past few days. "Here's one, what's the only currently known water/fire-type?"_

 _"That would be the legendary Pokémon, Volcanion."_

 _"What is Azumarill's secondary typing?"_

 _"It was given the secondary typing of fairy a few years ago when the type was discovered."_

 _"Very good...now, here's a_ really _hard one." he smirked behind the paper. "What's my favorite food?"_

 _"Ash!"_

 _"Ew, no way, come on Mist, get your head in the game!"_

"My _head_ is _in the game!_ Yours _is on another planet as usual!" The black-haired trainer frowned and put the study sheet down on the chair next to him, and he got up and wrapped the redhead in an embrace which she fought to escape from. "Let me go Ash Ketchum or I swear to God I'll-"_

 _"Misty..." she blinked and stopped struggling almost immediately after he whispered her name in her ear. He always did have that ability over her, or at least, since they became a couple. "Relax, you're going to do great, there's nothing you don't already know." the next thing she knew, he'd pulled back a little to take her face in his hands. "You're going to be the next member of the Elite Four, and if all you're worried about is a stupid test full of stuff you already know, then it's already a done deal."_

 _"You don't know that." she sighed. "Ash you don't understand, this is everything I could have ever dreamed of. I'm this close to finally achieving what I've dreamed about all my life! This isn't just some college final exam I could retake next year, this could very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity!"_

 _"And there's no one on this planet more capable of pulling it off than you." he led her to the seats in the waiting room and sat her down, taking the seat next to her for himself and wrapping his arm around her shoulders so he could lean her on his own. "You know water Pokémon like the back of your hand, you know what they like to eat, you know what each Pokémon's best capability is in battle...heck, you even know which Pokémon they are and aren't compatible to breed with for crying out loud!"_

 _"That's all necessary information to be a water Pokémon Master."_

 _"And do you know it?" his question went unanswered. "Do you know it?"_

 _Finally she looked up at him and sighed. "Yes, I know it."_

 _"Then there's nothing left to discuss." he kissed the top of her head, and Misty felt her heartbeat slow as she closed her eyes and relaxed in his embrace. "I've met a lot of water-type trainers in my travels, and there's no one who knows more about water Pokémon than you. And you know I'm not just saying that because I love you."_

 _"I know." she looked up at him again and smiled. "Thanks Ash, for everything."_

 _"You don't need to thank me Mist, we're a team. It's what we do."_

 _"Oh yeah? Well we're boyfriend and girlfriend too Mr. Almost Pokémon Master...any idea what we do with that?"_

 _"I can think of one thing."_

 _Misty beamed and closed her eyes after Ash started to lean in, just waiting for the rapturous experience of having his lips molded to her own. She felt his breath on her face and she knew in mere seconds she'd be in bliss._

 _"Am I interrupting something?"_

 _They both jumped back with beet red blushes as Lance stared at them with a bit of an embarrassed blush of his own. "No, sorry Lance..." she fixed her hair and tried to regain her composure. "Is it time?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Alright." she looked to her boyfriend and took his hands for a moment. "I'll be back."_

 _"You got this Misty." With a determined nod and quick peck on the lips, Misty walked out of the room and Lance closed the door behind her, leaving Ash to wait until his redheaded girlfriend returned with the results. "Good luck, Miss Almost Elite Four."_

 _An hour later, Ash was surprised to find that Misty had returned without Lance, and he jumped to his feet as he waited for the answer. "So? How'd you do?"_

 _He got his answer when Misty leaped forward and captured his lips with her own, and she didn't stop until they were both completely numb from kissing._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"To be perfectly honest, the battle I had with Koga a week later as part of the initiation was harder than the exam itself. That doggoned Toxicroak of his with its Dry Skin ability made all of my water-type attacks completely useless...luckily, Starmie knew Psychic and took care of it for me."

"You know, it really is amazing how you two have found a way to be such integral parts of each other's lives." David said as he glanced between the young couple. "You've managed to accomplish your dreams but it never would have happened without the incredible support you've afforded each other."

"No doubt." Misty hummed. "So that's why we insisted the cover have both of us David, because really, it's never been just one of us. We're a team, and we've reached a point where you can't have one without the other. We both have our own dreams but neither of us would have achieved them without having the other there for support."

"And I suppose that's why you two work so well as a couple too, if you don't mind my saying so."

"Uh well, heh heh..." Ash rubbed the back of his neck and missed the glare Misty suddenly shot at him. "You'd be surprised. I mean, there's obviously more than one reason we work, but we're by no means a perfect couple."

"Are you really about to go there on national television?" Misty hissed.

"Well it's not like it's a secret!"

"Ugh." Misty rolled her eyes and looked at David. "What Ash is about to say - and yes I'm taking it out of your hands Mr. Pokémon Master - is that ever since we were kids, we've had this bad habit of bickering with each other over the dumbest reasons you could possibly think of."

"Dumb is an understatement." Ash scoffed. "You used to get mad at _me_ for getting us lost when _you_ were the one holding the map!"

"Because you had already gotten us lost!"

"Yeah right! I think your memories are a little mixed up! In fact, I bet you don't even remember half of the stuff you learned about water Pokémon these past few years!"

"Is that a challenge?!"

"You bet it is!"

"Well then by all means, ask away Ash Ketchum, there's nothing I don't know about water Pokémon!"

"Um, we may have to go to break soon."

"Don't worry David, this won't take long. Just three quick questions." Ash smirked and looked at the smug looking redhead who had her arms crossed proudly over her chest. "You close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes. There's way too much technology in here that could let you cheat, unless you don't think you can pull it off."

Misty rolled her eyes. "I'll play along, but you're being ridiculous." she closed her eyes and waited for the first question.

"Alright, question one...what formerly extinct Pokémon is known as the Prototurtle Pokémon?"

"That would be both Tirtouga and Carracosta."

The crowd applauded the answer. "Not bad, but that one was easy."

"They're all easy, but go ahead."

"We'll see about that." Ash grinned. "Not counting mega evolutions, which water Pokémon have more than one form?"

Misty smirked. "Betcha thought you could catch me off guard with that one. But nope. The answers are Shellos, its evolved form Gastrodon, Kyogre and its Primal Form, which technically is not mega evolution, Basculin, the legendary Pokémon Keldeo, the Alolan Pokémon Wishiwashi, and just as an added bonus, your old Bond Phenomenon form with your Greninja, simply named Ash-Greninja."

The crowd cheered even louder and there were even some shouts of "burn!" in the audience after Misty threw in her sassy barb at the end.

"Gotta hand it to ya Mist...you know your stuff...now...I just have one more question for you."

"Your voice is wavering, getting a little nervous?"

"You could say that."

The redhead perked up an eyebrow at that, but she paid it no mind. "Well let's get it over with, David doesn't have all day to play games with us." Moments later, the crowd started cheering at the top of their lungs, and that's what really confused her. "Ash, why is everyone cheering?"

"Never mind them!" he shouted above the noise. "You ready for the question?"

"What's going on Ash?"

"Question's coming!"

"Ugh, alright!"

"Will you marry me?"

Misty's brain stripped a gear. "W-What?" she was sure she'd heard that wrong, but then when she put her suspicion together with the live audience's screams, she knew she just had to open her eyes. What she saw caused her to gasp.

"Will you marry me?"

There on one knee was her boyfriend Ash Ketchum, with a black velvet box in hand with a sapphire ring inside. "A-Ash...are you...is this..."

"Mist, we've been there for each other as we achieved our professional dreams. You're about to be named an official water Pokémon Master and you're already a member of Kanto's Elite Four...while me, yeah, I'm the Pokémon Master now, the most powerful trainer in the world...but, that's not my biggest dream."

Misty said nothing.

"So...I'll ask one more time..." he gulped and looked her in the eyes. "Misty Waterflower, will you make my greatest dream come true and become my wife? Will you marry me?"

Tears began to flow from her blue-green eyes as she looked back and forth between the ring and her waiting boyfriend. Was this real? Was this another dream? She leaned forward to try and touch him, and she started to laugh when she felt his skin and realized that he wasn't just a figment of her sometimes overactive imagination. He wasn't a fantasy, he was real.

"Well Mist?"

He was waiting for her answer and starting to think she might actually be thinking of saying no!

"Yes! Yes of course I will you big dork!" she practically tackled him to the ground and kissed him over and over, all urges to keep her dignity lost despite being filmed on national television. As far as she was concerned, the rest of the world didn't exist. It was just her and her boyfriend - no, fiancé! - and that was how it was always meant to be.

"Thanks for helping me achieve my dream Mist." Ash said as he hugged her tight.

"No Ash," she pushed herself up and looked down at him. "Thank you for helping _me_ achieve mine."

He laughed at that. "Guess we both had the same dream huh?"

"Yeah, but I figured I'd have to be the one to make the move."

"No way Mist." he hugged her even tighter. "There's no one else I could ever picture as my partner in life than you, so I decided it was time for me to make my dream a reality." he smiled brighter. "And now it is. It's gonna be you and me Mist, together forever."

"Together." she choked out a happy sob and fell back on top of him. "Forever."

"What a stunning development ladies and gentlemen, our newest Elite Four member and Pokémon Master are now engaged to be married, and you saw it here first on PokéCelebrity! Stay tuned for more after the break!"  
_

 **A/N: Hope that was a good start! Now folks, I mentioned that HollyLu and I are doing a collaboration this year...which means that my stories are only the tip of the iceberg. If you want the real pull to all of this, you need to go find Holly on Tumblr at hollylu-ships-it and see the amazing artwork she did. That's where the real feature is, I'm just adding a little extra depth.**

 **So with all that said, see you all tomorrow for another theme! I'm really excited about this year, it's gonna be a doozy, I can feel it!**


	2. Life Through the Lens

**Well, here we are for Day 2! Now just for a little background on this next theme, which is "If Tracey never joined," this is actually the theme that initially triggered the need to have alternate themes in the first place.**

 **People - including myself - weren't thrilled with the idea of just removing a favorite character from the equation just because they wanted to see Ash and Misty travel through the Orange Islands alone, and many were puzzled why that particular theme was voted so highly. Perhaps they romanticized what would happen? That's my guess.**

 **However, Holly and I managed to find a certain exploit and took full advantage. Just because TRACEY never joined, doesn't mean they couldn't have a third companion at all. So, if we have to take a character out, what was stopping us from putting a different character in? That's why now you'll read the story of Todd Snap and his adventures with Ash and Misty through the Orange Islands.**

 **With that said, sit back and enjoy, and happy Pokeshipping Week everyone! I own nothing except the story.  
_**

A picture's worth a thousand words, and I've taken tons of them over the course of my career. I've already been heralded as the world's greatest Pokémon photographer, but there's something that I haven't been able to do while in Kanto, and that's get some pictures of some real tropical Pokémon.

Thankfully, I have some great friends in Ash and Misty. When I heard they were heading to the Orange Archipelago, I just knew I had to tag along. It took me a while to track them down, but when I did I was surprised to see that Brock wasn't with them.

It's a little weird not having Brock around, I never realized how much Ash and Misty argue with each other when Brock isn't there to act as a mediator. I've been doing my best, but it isn't easy...and at the same time, it's been an amazing opportunity for me.

See, I've been able to get some great shots of Pokémon while I've been here, the Orange Islands are practically a paradise for photographers like me...pink Pokémon, shiny Pokémon wherever I look, ocean Pokémon having a fantastic time in the brilliantly blue water, and all captured while on the back of a baby Lapras no less!

But I've recently gotten experience in something else while traveling with Ash and Misty, and that's the art of capturing just the right moment between people. It's strange. Until I met them, I rarely ever photographed humans, I was always much more interested in Pokémon and for the most part I still am. But there's just something about Ash and Misty that appeals to the eye of the camera.

By themselves, they usually make for great action shots whenever they're in battle, and if I happen to catch a shot of them interacting with their Pokémon in a more friendly setting, then it becomes a true masterpiece. The relationship they have with their Pokémon is second to none, and even Ash's unruly Charizard eventually came around and started to listen to Ash's commands in battle, it's an amazing thing to chronicle and I'm so glad I was there to witness it...even if my hands were raw after rubbing Charizard down all night after the Poliwrath incident.

But there's something else that makes Ash and Misty such great subjects for my photos, and it's honestly something I wasn't expecting in the slightest. It's subtle, and the untrained eye probably wouldn't catch it, but those two seem to have a very deep admiration for each other, even if it's buried under a lot of bickering.

There was this one time not too long ago when Ash was taking a break from training, we had just stopped off to make our shelter for the night and Ash called out all his Pokémon to help set up. Instead it turned into a game of tag as Ash and the rest of his team chased Pikachu around after the little electric mouse thought it would be funny to snag Ash's hat off his head. It finally ended when Ash bumped into the belly of his Snorlax, who for once was awake and enjoying the fun with everyone.

I was about to take the shot of Ash and all his Pokémon laughing and having a great time...and then I caught Misty's expression in the corner of my eye.

She was smiling.

And this wasn't just a regular casual smile, this was a smile of complete and utter devotion and admiration. The word I would use is coy, as she watched Ash play with his Pokémon. When I saw that, I knew I had to get that shot. It was such a subtle and yet strongly implied emotion, how could I do anything else?

In my honest opinion, it's one of the best photos I've ever taken.

And then there's Ash. While normally Ash is great for exciting and high-energy shots - like when he and Misty are training together - I'll never forget the time when Ash got sick after an unfortunate run-in with an angry Vileplume's Stun Spore. Misty and I took Ash to a cabin that happened to be in the middle of the woods and tried to treat him there, but his illness was only getting worse and Misty took it upon herself to get the cure.

Obviously I wasn't all that concerned with getting a photo since Ash was sick as a dog, but I couldn't help but notice that even if he seemed a bit delirious, he kept calling for Misty and asking where she was. When she finally got back, Ash seemed relieved and even...happy that she was back, and after she boiled the Salveyo weed and gave it to Ash to drink, I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have my camera on me.

Maybe it was a little selfish of me to take advantage of the circumstances, but it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. It was the perfect scene, with Misty standing in front of Ash while he gingerly took the cup from her, the gratitude in his eyes shined brightly with a hint of something more underneath the surface of that raw emotion. He didn't just appreciate the medicine, he appreciated _her,_ and that's a moment in time I'm grateful I was able to capture.

The craziest part? He hadn't even noticed the Poliwag that had followed her to the cabin. For Ash to not notice a Pokémon is a big deal, since up until recently I thought Pokémon was the one thing Ash cared about more than anything else in the world.

Clearly, I was wrong.

In some ways, it almost feels like I shouldn't be here, not in the sense that I regret my decision to follow them, far from it...but in a way, it feels like I'm intruding on something special. I don't really know how to describe it or what word would define it, but there's this connection between Ash and Misty that whenever they're together, opportunities for heartwarming photos are almost endless...if you wait for their frequent arguments to end.

Even as we speak, they're sitting on a log in front of me, enjoying their lunch without a care in the world. If Ash's best friend is Pikachu, then there needs to be two separate categories, one for Pokémon and one for humans, because I've never seen closer friends than Ash and Misty.

I'm waiting for the right moment, after everything I've seen during this journey, I have a sneaking suspicion that - there it is! Misty just scooted closer to Ash, it's so discreet that if you blinked you would miss it, but my trusty camera lens sees all. Wait, are they...they look like they're about to share that sandwich! Oh man this could be a once in a lifetime photo! Now if they could just turn their heads and look at each other, that would be just perfect...yes!

Wait...uh oh...they didn't look at each other, they looked at me. Double uh oh...I think Misty realized I was snapping a photo of them. Oh God she's coming after me, Misty no! Not the camera, not the camera!

Maybe someday they'll appreciate what I've done...but I guess...today's not that day. Oh well.  
_

 **A/N: So there you have it. I think it's cute, and Todd seeing everything that we see through his trusty camera lens is a good twist on things, at least in my opinion. Now of course, Holly has some awesome artwork on her Tumblr page, which of course is hollylu-ships-it, so make sure you go check that out! We reblog each other there so if you follow either of us, you'll see it.**

 **Let's meet back tomorrow, shall we?**


	3. Water-Type Worries

**Day 3! This theme was "Getting along with the other's Pokemon," and Holly and I decided it was time to make Ash suffer a little bit lol. Don't worry, it's nothing bad...at least, not too bad. Hopefully you guys will get a laugh out of it, and of course make sure you keep an eye out for Holly's artwork on her Tumblr page, which of course is hollylu-ships-it.**

 **Alright, enjoy everyone! I own nothing except the story.**

Ash Ketchum loved Pokémon, since the day he was old enough to understand what a Pokémon was, he loved them and knew he wanted to become a Pokémon Master.

Misty Waterflower also loved Pokémon, particularly water-types as she grew up in the Cerulean City gym which specialized in the type, and she eventually became the official Gym Leader after taking over for her three older sisters who much preferred performing than battling.

In a manner of speaking, the whole world revolved around Pokémon, and the relationship they shared with humans on an everyday basis. With the help of Pokémon, mankind was able to achieve feats that would have been unheard of had Pokémon never existed. So much emphasis was always placed on this relationship, that it was the norm to see trainers bonding with the Pokémon they capture rather than just using them as a means to an end.

But Ash and Misty simply took the concept to a whole new level.

Their relationships with their Pokémon were second to none, there was rarely ever a Pokémon that didn't eventually warm up to these two trainers and the heart they had for their kind. Through their interactions, it was clear that these two trainers would gladly die for any one of their Pokémon should the situation call for it, and that's what set them above everyone else.

It was also a big part of what brought them together and made them best friends.

As a rookie trainer, Ash made the mistake of being ill-prepared and not knowing how to handle his unruly Pikachu, and that led to some foolish decisions that prompted a flock of wild Spearow to come after them. During the escape, Ash and his injured Pikachu met Misty, who didn't get a very good first impression of him - he did steal her bike after all - but eventually fell in love with the heart he had for Pokémon, and came to the stunning realization that she'd met a kindred spirit in Ash Ketchum, someone who loved Pokémon almost as much as she did.

Of course if you asked Ash, it would be the other way around, and an argument over who loved them more would immediately break out. It was just their way.

They owed their friendship to their Pokémon, who - albeit indirectly - led them to becoming friends in the first place, and that common passion kept them connected and in turn, influenced their Pokémon to also become the best of friends. Misty absolutely adored any water-types that Ash captured, and they adored her in turn. As for Ash, Misty's Pokémon saw him as almost on the same level as their trainer, they respected him and if something ever happened to Misty, Ash was always the first one they turned to for help.

Well, all except one anyway.

"Come on Misty, just this once!"

"No, you're crazy! You don't have any idea what you're getting yourself into and I am not going to risk your life just so you can prove a point! Do you have any idea how pathetic it is that I have to protect you from yourself?!"

"All of your other Pokémon listen to me!"

"All of my other Pokémon aren't Gyarados! He _only_ listens to me and whenever Daisy or my other sisters try to tell him something, he gets angry at them!"

"Did you _seriously_ just put me on the same level as Daisy as a trainer?"

"That's not the point!"

This argument had been going on for some time now. Misty was visiting Ash in the Sinnoh Region for a few days and things quickly got back to the normal routine. They would be happy to see each other, and they would promptly find something to argue about. The argument for this week? Ash being able to command Misty's Gyarados in a battle.

Naturally, Misty immediately balked at the idea, knowing how volatile Gyarados could be, but Ash just saw it as a challenge and insisted he use the Atrocious Pokémon in a battle against her while she used one of his Pokémon.

"Tell ya what, what if I told you I have my _own_ water-type with an attitude? Would that change your mind?"

The redhead scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Who's that? Totodile? Gimme a break, the closest thing you have to a water-type with attitude is Squirtle, and he's still a total sweetheart underneath the sass."

"Betcha your Gyarados is too."

"Betcha he'd try to eat you, and I'd win that bet."

"You wouldn't let that happen to me."

"At this point, I'm tempted to let him try."

Ash smirked, if there was one thing he knew how to do besides train Pokémon, it was push Misty's buttons. "Close enough for me." he pulled a Pokéball off his belt and held it in front of Misty's scowling face. "So, you ready to meet my new water-type?"

Her expression morphed into one of curiosity. _"New_ water-type?"

"Traded my Aipom to Dawn for it, since Aipom loved contests so much...as for who I got in return, well, you'll see for yourself, _if_ you let me try to use Gyarados."

Misty glared at him for a few moments, until finally with a resigned sigh, she pulled Gyarados' Pokéball off her belt and placed it in the exuberant trainer's hand. "All I can say is it's a good thing we're at the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy may have to sew you back together again like Frankenstein."

"I knew you'd come around!" Ash quickly handed Misty his Pokéball and ran a few yards away so he could call out the water-dragon. "This is gonna be awesome, I've never commanded a Gyarados before!"

"And you _still_ won't have after this!"

Ash glared over his shoulder for a moment before smirking down at the Pokéball. "We'll see about that, why don't you just see what you can do with Buizel?"

"Is that its name?" Misty looked down at the Pokéball for a moment before smiling and giving it a toss. "Well let's see what's inside!" the ball opened up and out came a small weasel-like Pokémon with its arms crossed and a scowl across its face. "Aww, it's so cute! And it _actually_ looks pretty strong! Ash can we trade? I'll give you Psyduck!"

"Not a chance! Besides, if Buizel keeps getting traded around he's probably gonna get a compound or synapse or something!

"You mean a _complex_ or a _syndrome?"_

"Whatever! The answer is no!"

"Oh fine." Misty pouted and bent her knees to get closer to the water weasel's level. "Hi there Buizel, nice to meet you!"

"Bui..."

The redhead's reverie was extinguished when she saw the water-type didn't exactly appreciate the compliment. "Huh, looks like Ash wasn't kidding when he said this water-Pokémon had an attitude."

"Good luck over there Misty!"

"Don't need it!" she called back. "There's no water-type that I won't eventually be able to handle, that's part of being a water-Pokémon master!"

"Didn't know you'd gotten that title already!"

Misty sneered at that. "Just call out Gyarados already and make sure you're facing the other direction so you can run for your life!"

"Don't need to!" Ash smirked and wound up his throw, "Alright Gyarados, I choose you!" he tossed the ball and out came Misty's most powerful partner with a mighty roar. "Whoa, that's awesome!"

"Pika..."

"Hey there Gyarados, it's me Ash!" the dragon looked down at the trainer below with a glare, which Ash seemed oblivious to. "How's about you and me team up in a battle? I bet together we'll be unstoppable!" Gyarados' glare intensified, and this time even Ash could tell something wasn't right. "Uh...Gyarados, why're ya lookin' at me like that?"

"Pikapi...pika chu!"

"Uh oh..."

Meanwhile, Misty was preparing to take a different approach with the disinterested Buizel. "Alright, so this guy's not responsive to affection, so maybe..." she screwed on a determined expression and turned the small water-type to face her. "I can tell you're a proud water Pokémon who respects strength." she leaned in closer. "Now look me in the eyes, and tell me what you see!"

They stared at each other for a few moments, neither of them blinking as they studied each other's stances and got a feel for the other's power. Finally, the water weasel cracked a smirk and nodded at Misty, acknowledging her prowess as a water-Pokémon trainer. "Bui bui."

"That's what I like to see, now put 'er there!" She held out her fist to Buizel, who quickly extended his paw and pounded it against the redhead's clenched hand. "I can tell you and I are gonna get along just fine Buizel...as for Ash and Gyarados on the other hand..."

"Misty! HELP!" Both Misty and Buizel turned to see Ash and Pikachu running for their lives with Gyarados chasing them down in rage. "Call him off Misty, call him off!"

"I thought you said you'd be just fine Mr. Pokémon Master!"

"Very funny!" Flames rained down from above and the black-haired trainer screamed in terror. "Hot! Very hot! MISTYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"Well..." she looked back at Buizel and sweat-dropped. "He can't say I didn't warn him."

"Bui bui..."

"Don't worry Buizel, I'll go help your ding-dong of a trainer now." More flames caught her attention and she sighed in resignation. "I just hope he learned his lesson...hang on Ash, I'm coming!"

 **A/N: Gyarados will listen to no one but his master. Misty on the other hand can handle just about any water type. Poor Ash.** **Let's meet back tomorrow, shall we?**


	4. What Really Changes You

**Day 4! But first, a small announcement. I did see everyone's reviews in my email inbox, but they appear to be missing on the reviews page and I can't reply to them because they're "not found." This makes me sad, because I do appreciate all of your reviews and I want to be able to let you guys know that.**

 **So hopefully they'll get it back up and running again soon...I wish I knew why this site has been having so many issues with reviews these past few months. But I digress.**

 **The theme Holly and I chose for Day 4 was "First Kiss" from the alternate list of themes. But in reality it's actually a combination of that and "First Date." Either way, Holly's art is still amazing and you should go check it out on her Tumblr:** **hollylu-ships-it.**

 **With that said, enjoy! I own nothing except the story.  
_**

It wasn't that long ago that Ash Ketchum had posed the question of whether or not people change when they get kissed, and Misty - his longtime best friend - had responded by saying that they would have to find out for themselves.

How ironic, he couldn't help but think to himself.

Now that he was sixteen years old, puberty had taken hold of him and not only begun to change his physical appearance, but he finally came to the realization that girls could hold just as much sway in an aspiring Pokémon Master's life as Pokémon...he also gave thanks every single day that he hadn't become quite as obsessed with them as his other longtime traveling companion Brock was.

But it was during this personal revelation that Ash found out that he held certain feelings for a special someone that at the time, he never could've imagined he would. How ironic - once again - that the very person he'd come to realize he was in love with just so happened to be the one to tell him that they would have to find out for themselves if kissing would change them.

Misty Waterflower: Gym Leader of the Cerulean City Gym.

It wasn't a gradual fall, it was one where he took one look at Misty during a videophone call and BOOM, suddenly he felt a stirring in his heart that he'd never felt before with Misty. The change in perspective was so sudden that Ash had actually hung up on her before even saying hi as he tried to regain his composure.

Naturally, he didn't get much time as Misty almost immediately called back and started berating him for pulling such a childish prank.

He decided he'd be better off letting her think that was what it was...at least for the time being.

It took a while for Ash to figure out what he should do about these sudden and very strong feelings he harbored for his best friend, he certainly didn't want to call his mom for advice since even he - as dense as he was about these things - had enough common sense to know that the first thing he'd get was a lecture on the Pidgey and the Beedrill and what he should and shouldn't do with a woman. He definitely didn't want to deal with that situation.

Asking Brock for help...even Ash wasn't _that_ stupid.

So the young man was forced to seek help from other resources, and after a few months of learning what he should do, Ash finally managed to gather the courage to ask Misty out on a date, and to his total shock, she accepted, and not only that, she seemed excited about the idea...at least that's what he figured considering the big smile that appeared on her face.

Now all that was left to do was get ready for their date, and so it was that Ash Ketchum drove up in front of the Cerulean City Gym (he had to ask his mom for the car and wound up getting that lecture he was avoiding anyway) on a Saturday afternoon and waited for his date to come out and meet him.

"Okay, got my flowers here, I brushed my teeth _and_ had some breath mints...layered on deodorant like three times...I think I'm ready!"

Then Ash saw Misty walk out the doors of the Gym, apparently shouting something over her shoulder, and he quickly realized there was no way he could ever be ready no matter how much he prepared.

The redheaded Gym Leader had gone all out for this, and despite all the effort he (and yes, his mom) had put into making sure he looked good, he immediately felt inadequate compared to his date for the night. Misty had walked out of the Gym in a gorgeous short yellow dress with a blue denim jacket draped over her shoulders. Her longer orange hair was tied in its signature side ponytail, hanging down and swishing back and forth as she walked.

If there was one word Ash would use to describe her, it would be pretty.

The only thing keeping her from being beautiful was the scowl plastered on her face. She finally made it to the car, and only then did the deep frown give way to something a little more tender, as she graced him with a small smile as she hopped into the passenger's seat.

Okay, now she was definitely beautiful.

"Uh...hi Misty."

"Hi Ash!" she chirped before rolling her eyes. "Sorry you had to see that, my sisters made me wear all this since this is my first real date..." she suddenly beamed at him. "And who would've thought it'd be with _you_ of all people?! I mean...Ash Ketchum, the man who eats, sleeps and breathes Pokémon, finally realized that there's more to life than just Pokémon."

"Well yeah, I mean...obviously." he looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow. "And uh...don't get me wrong, I love the dress, and you look...really nice-"

"Well that's very sweet of you Ash."

"Yeah..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "But uh," he pointed down at her feet. "What's with the sneakers?" It was at that moment Ash realized he'd just disobeyed one of the guidelines he'd set for himself. He had insulted her sense of style and the response was just as easily predicted, the scowl returned full force and she immediately began berating him.

"Don't you start with me Ash Ketchum!" the redhead snarled. "I've already had this fight with my sisters about me wanting to dress comfortably, I finally had to come up with this compromise and let them essentially dress me up like one of their old dolls until they were satisfied with how I looked, and _then_ all they did was complain that I was ruining all their hard work by wearing the sneakers instead of heels! So I don't wanna hear _anything_ from you."

Ash put his hands up and leaned away from the fuming Gym Leader. "Hey it's not a problem, you can wear your sneakers if you want! Heck I'm not even disappointed you didn't wear heels, I kinda like being taller than you for a change." He felt his cheeks redden when he realized what he said. "N-Not that I _mind_ ya know! I mean, I'm not one of those shallow losers who feels like they _need_ to be taller than girls! In fact your tallness is one of the best parts about you! I mean-"

"Ash!"

The black-haired trainer flinched. "Y-Yeah Mist?"

"Relax." She smiled at him, causing the Pokémon trainer to blink in confusion. "Don't worry about it, you're acting like you're walking on eggshells. It's just me, let's just go have a good time together! Okay?"

Ash just stared at her for a moment, but soon enough a small smile spread across his lips as he nodded and started the car. "You got it. Thanks Mist."

With a satisfied nod, Misty turned in her seat and looked forward towards the road. "Alright, let's get this date started!"

The black-haired boy nodded and drove away from the Gym with a renewed sense of confidence. He should've known what he'd learned didn't totally apply to his redheaded best friend, but that didn't mean he was going to change his plans any. If there was one thing he was determined to find out tonight, it was whether or not people change when they get kissed. "Sounds good to me Mist," he smirked at her through the corner of his eye. "First stop...Cerulean Cape."

"Wait, are you serious?!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It wasn't a long drive to what had quickly become one of the most popular date spots in all of Kanto. The Cerulean Cape had developed substantially over the years and now featured a posh restaurant as well as the usual lookout point overseeing the ocean. So seeing as he remembered her telling him how much she wanted to be able to take a date there, a sentiment he remembered proudly, how could he do anything else than have their first date right there?

As he parked the car in front of the restaurant, the black-haired trainer quickly jumped out and rushed over to the passenger door to open it, his hand held out to her as he did his best to put on what he hoped was a suave expression. "Milady?"

Misty snorted back laughter and took the offered hand, letting him help her out of the car before he closed the door behind her and set the alarm. She was again caught off guard when he zipped ahead to open the restaurant door for her, sweeping his arm in a gesture for her to go first. "Well, guess I'll have to thank Mrs. Ketchum for making sure you were so well-trained."

He gave a deadpan look after her zinger, but he still left the door open for the giggling redhead and walked in after her. "Wow, this place looks awesome!"

"The Cerulean Cape Cafe has become one of the most popular hangout spots in the whole city, and despite the name, it has a lot more going for it than just coffee."

Ash blinked at her for a moment. "You uh...you've been here before?"

"Oh yeah, plenty of times," she said with a proud smile. "After all, I helped put it all together."

"You what?"

"Misty! It's so good to see you again!"

"Georgio!"

Ash gaped in shock as he watched Misty go over to this random guy with light-brown hair and a cheesy light blue uniform and give him a hug, sparking a...strange sense of rage in his soul. "So this is what jealousy is like huh?" he mumbled to himself. "Well it sucks." he walked with purpose to join his date and did his best not to glare daggers into the other boy's eyes. "Who's this Misty?" he asked with all the self-control he could muster.

"Oh, Ash!" she turned to him with a smile. "This is Georgio, you remember him right? I told you about him a while ago! We became friends after I came back from Johto with you!"

"Oh yeah," Ash smirked and held out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you."

"It's a pleasure!" Georgio took the offered hand and shook it, flinching a little at Ash's grip and quickly taking his hand back and clearing his throat. "Misty's told me a lot about you."

"Oh really?"

"Absolutely! In fact, she never seems to run out of nice things to say about you, your training skills, your love for Pokémon...your unruly hair that she finds so-"

"How's Casey, Georgio?!"

Both men were caught off guard by the now blushing redhead's outburst, but as soon as the question registered in Georgio's mind, a wide grin appeared on his face. "She's doing great actually! She's almost got all eight Gym badges from the Hoenn Region and soon she'll be challenging their Pokémon League."

"Wait, did I miss something?" Ash blinked in confusion. "Are we talking about 'obsessed with the Electabuzz baseball team' Casey, or is there another Casey that I don't know about?"

"That's Casey alright," Georgio chuckled fondly. "You know her too? Small world! I sure am glad Misty brought Casey with her when we met at the lighthouse that day."

Ash glanced at the redhead for a moment, and raised an eyebrow at the sight of her pressing her face into her palm. "What's all that about?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?!" Georgio laughed. "Misty, if I hadn't sent you that note asking you to go on a date with me, I never would've met Casey in the first place!" he failed to notice the horrified expression on Misty's face and the suddenly enraged one on Ash's. "And on top of all that, I wouldn't have this awesome job if it wasn't for you either! I owe everything to you!"

Misty grabbed Ash's wrist and started dragging him away. "Well we'd love to stay and chat Georgio, but we're on a _date,_ so we'll see you later!" she pulled Ash away from the confused host and dragged him over to the table in the darkest corner of the cafe. "This is a great seat!" She sat down and immediately grabbed a menu and stared deeply into it.

"Misty..." Ash slowly slid into the opposite end of the booth and stared at her suspiciously. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing I swear!" she put her menu down and pasted on a smile, turning the menu and pointing to a specific item. "Oh you _gotta_ try their hamburgers Ash, trust me, you'll wish you lived here!"

"Mhmm." The black-haired trainer crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. "That might've worked on me a few years ago, not now."

Misty sighed and slowly lowered the menu. "I was afraid of that." Placing the menu back on the tabletop, Misty folded her hands and looked down at the table with an almost apologetic smile. "You only know what I told you...I met Georgio and we became friends, and that's pretty much where I left it."

"Because he had a crush on you."

She hesitantly nodded. "I didn't want you to find out, especially not now..." her voice trailed off at the end before she looked back up at him. "The note he wrote basically said that he wanted to meet me. Casey happened to be there and I didn't want to go alone, so I took her with me while Daisy convinced Tracey to clean the pool for us."

Ash chuckled a bit at that. "Your sister has him wrapped around her finger."

"I know right?" Misty giggled. "Anyway..." she gave a small sigh. "When we met Georgio, he straight up asked if I wanted to go on a date, saying I was the most beautiful girl in the world...when I told him no, he proposed-"

"What?!"

"Relax, will you?" she made a face at him. "He proposed a _battle_ and if he won, I'd have to go to the Starmie game against the Electabuzz with him. If I won, he promised he'd go away forever."

Ash grunted and looked away with a small frown. "So...I guess he won then."

"Actually, no." she smirked a little at Ash's curious expression. "Corsola came through for me big time and just barely beat his Delcatty...after a short adventure where we had to save it from Cassidy and Biff or whatever his name is."

"But...then how did you guys stay friends?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Just because he didn't get to date me doesn't mean we couldn't become friends Ash. He went to the game with Casey instead, and when they came back they were the best of friends. I could tell there was something between them."

"So all that about you being the most beautiful girl was nothing but talk."

The smile vanished and was replaced with a disapproving frown. "Will you stop? Georgio is a nice guy, and I wouldn't have stayed friends with him if he was a jerk." she huffed and shook her head. "It's not that he just changed his mind on a whim, he simply realized that he had more in common with Casey than with me, and there _is_ more to a healthy relationship than just how you look."

"I know that! But still, he shouldn't say stuff like that unless he really means it. I mean does he have any idea what kind of impact that can have on a girl emotionally? It just isn't right!"

"That...I mean...you're not _wrong_ but..."

"But what?"

"But how do _you_ know that?"

Ash gulped as a cold sweat formed on his brow. "W-Well ya know, my mom taught me a lot of stuff over the years, it's not like I read about that sort of thing in a book or anything!"

"Uh huh..." she raised an eyebrow. "Well, guess I really _do_ have to thank Mrs. Ketchum then."

"Yep! She's awesome alright!" Ash grinned widely and picked up his menu, he had just dodged a major bullet and he wasn't about to risk getting caught again. "So what was that about an awesome hamburger?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The meal went by mostly without a hitch. Ash was able to redirect any questions regarding his sudden knowledge on the world of dating, and in a lot of ways, he'd realized, the knowledge was irrelevant when it came to Misty. Despite everything he'd learned, it always seemed so easy to default back to their usual best friend behavior...and somehow, that didn't bother him in the slightest.

Misty had eagerly told him about how she was a big part of planning the development of Cerulean Cape over the years, and she'd spent a lot of her spare time just keeping things rolling with her organization and leadership skills. It was also thanks to the development project that Misty became really good friends with Georgio, who - much to Ash's relief - happened to be in a very strong relationship with Casey.

They laughed, they teased each other, and the longer the conversation went on the more comfortable Ash felt being with her. It was just like old times and he found himself wishing it would never end.

"Hey Ash, let's take a walk."

That is until now.

Without the comforting presence of food in the area, Ash suddenly felt out of place with his redheaded date. He followed her up some steps and soon enough they found themselves overseeing the ocean just as the sun set, and for a brief moment, Ash forgot his anxiety and gaped in awe at the sight. "Whoa..."

"Amazing, isn't it?" she giggled at his silent nod. "This is my favorite place in all of Cerulean."

"I can see why." he walked towards the edge of the platform and sat on the bench right behind the white picket fence bordering the edge of the cliff. "How come there's no one else here though?"

Misty smiled softly and sat down next to him, staring out at the glowing sea reflecting the orange-yellow sunset. "I made sure this spot was left out of the development plans...there are just some things that are too perfect, things that need to be left alone or it just wouldn't be the same anymore."

"Yeah," Ash smiled as well and stared out towards the ocean. "I get what you mean."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the sun set and listening to the sound of the Wingull flying overhead. It was all so surreal to the young Pokémon trainer, here he was on his first date with his best friend...and just by not doing anything, he was having a fantastic time. He never imagined that just enjoying someone's company could feel so good...so right.

"Can I tell you something Ash?"

"Hmm?"

Her response didn't come right away, but when it did, it shook Ash to his very core. "I've never brought anyone else here until now...you're the first one to ever come up here with me."

That stunned him, and he turned to look at the Gym Leader and saw that her eyes were beginning to water. "Mist...I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm flattered and all, but why wouldn't you bring anyone here? This view is amazing."

"I know it is." she choked out a chuckle and turned her face away. "That's why I haven't brought anyone else here..." she took a deep breath, and Ash felt his own breath hitch in his throat at the look Misty was giving him. "This place is too special to me for just anyone to know about it. I...I wanted you to be the first one to know about it...and the only one."

"Misty..."

"I-I know, I know." she looked away and relinquished a watery laugh as she wiped at her eyes. "It's cheesy and it sounds like something out of a sappy romance novel...but I just...I couldn't get myself to bring anyone here but you." She looked back towards the sunset, and Ash could see the edges of her lips twitching, apparently she was fighting to keep her smile in place. "Do you know what this makes me think of Ash?"

"What?"

"It reminds me of the day we parted ways all those years ago. I was convinced that I would never see you again. I had my bike back, my sisters called me home to take over as the Gym Leader...and you..." her smile finally faded as it morphed into a frown. "You were going to continue your journey and move on to bigger and better things, without me."

"Aww Mist," he scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Seeing her like this stirred up a need to comfort her like he'd never felt before, it made his heart ache to see her saddened, and he suddenly longed to see her smile again. "But we never stopped being friends y'know, like I told you, we didn't meet by coincidence, we were meant to become friends, I still believe that!"

"I know...I know..." she shuddered out a breath and leaned on his shoulder for comfort. "I keep saying that," she choked a laugh. "I know all of that and you have no idea how much that means to me...but it doesn't change how I feel."

"Misty-"

"No, Ash...please, just let me finish." she took a deep breath and sat up straight, screwing on a determined expression as she stared right into her best friend's chocolate-brown eyes. "Before we went our separate ways, I was convinced that you were happy I was leaving...that you honestly believed that the only reason I followed you for all those years was just because I wanted you to pay me back for ruining my ratty old bike."

"That's not-!"

She put her finger on his lips and gave him a small smile. "I know that too." her smile grew a little wider when he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "When you told me how you felt it was destiny we met, that's when I knew the truth...I knew you cared about me, more than maybe even _you_ realized...and I knew that I wouldn't bring anyone else here before you."

"But _why_ Misty?" he gazed at her anxiously. "Why would you do that to yourself? Why would you wait for _me_ of all people?"

She shook her head with an exasperated smile and walked up to the fence to get a better look at the sunset...and also to hide the tears that she finally lost control over. "When I heard that your friend Serena kissed you before you left the Kalos Region, for a brief moment I thought that there was no hope left for any future with us together." With her back turned, she missed Ash's horrified blush. "I wanted to be your first kiss, and she took that from me...not that I blame her, she just had the courage to do what I couldn't back then...we were too young I suppose."

"M-Misty..." she turned around and Ash's heart caught up in his throat, as the sunset framed her orange hair and gave her an almost ethereal glow about her. She was beautiful...and he wanted more than anything to say it...but she wasn't done yet.

"But I never gave up. If there was one thing I knew about you, it was that you keep your promises. You promised we'd see each other again and we did, and despite all odds you've fought to stay in touch with everyone you've ever met, me included. It's just who you are, and it's part of why...why I love you so much."

His heart stopped. "You...you love...me?"

She nodded, and the tears started flowing again. "More than you'll ever know." she walked up to him and wrapped him in an embrace, tears spilling onto his shoulder as she poured her heart out to him. "You've meant so much to me, Ash." she half-sobbed. "You've been my inspiration, and every time I ever felt like giving up, I'd remember what you said and it would give me just enough energy to fight through whatever I was going through. You've been with me every step of the way, in spirit if not in person. That's why I kept this place a secret for so long, because this place is the most important place in the world to me, and there's no _one_ in my life who's more important to me than you."

Ash found himself at a complete loss for words. There was nothing that could've prepared him for the onslaught of emotion Misty had just exposed him to. No advice, no general rules...not even from that stupid book he'd read to learn what girls like and how to date them. He should have known from the beginning it wouldn't work, she wasn't like most girls like the book talked about.

She was Misty.

Fiery, determined, emotional, and sometimes fragile Misty. She was a self-proclaimed romantic, he knew that. But he'd learned enough about her over the years that she valued honest to goodness friendship more than any cheap gifts or flowers or any of that cliché romantic stuff. And looking back on their night together, he realized that it was his knowledge of her that had come more in handy than anything the book had told him.

And that, he realized with a smile as he returned the embrace with fervor, was the real reason he was enjoying this date so much. He'd been so anxious before he picked her up, so worried about doing something wrong that he was dreading the very idea of going on the date in the first place. Once Misty had told him to relax though, reminded him that it was "just her" as she put it, everything came naturally. More than naturally even...it was right.

"Well...don't you have anything to say?"

He was brought out of his musings by the redhead who had just pulled back to get a look at his face. Her own face was shrouded in shadow thanks to the sunset behind them, but he could easily see the raw emotion in her eyes and it caused his heart to swell. This, he realized, was what caused people to change, not a kiss.

A kiss is what came after the change.

"Oh God, I've just made a complete fool of myself haven't I?"

Ash felt his heart drop when Misty suddenly pulled away. "Wait what? No!"

"How could I have expected you to understand how I feel? How could I fool myself into thinking you actually managed to get your head out of Pokémon for any longer than five seconds?! And _you!"_ she suddenly rounded on him. "You just let me go on and on and on, raving like a lunatic while you just sat there with your dumb boy face watching me pour my heart out! Well let me tell you something Ash Ketchum, I-!"

"MISTY!" His outburst stopped her rant cold, and he watched her as she panted in emotional exhaustion, tears again flowing from her eyes, more from sorrow than anything he wagered.

Well, he just wasn't going to allow that. He stood up to his full height and stared her down, watching her eyes as they narrowed at him and the familiar mask of rage went up. "If you've got something to say, then say it. There's nothing you could possibly do to make me feel any worse."

He wasn't going to let that mask stay up either. Bracing himself internally, he gently took hold of Misty's face and looked right into her intense green eyes, red and puffy from the tears she'd shed. "Are you gonna kiss me or what?"

She gawked at him for mere seconds before she lunged forward and captured his lips with her own, with an unbridled passion and fury that only someone like her could muster.

After what seemed like an eternity, the kiss was broken and Misty leaned in to fall into his chest, laughing sadly after a few moments of silence. "We're a couple of idiots, aren't we?"

"Nah. I like to think of it as us making the transition from best friends to more than friends."

She looked up at him and smirked. "Is that what that book in your pocket told you?"

He blushed profusely. "W-What book?"

The smirk grew. "The pocket dating manual you have there!" she started laughing when Ash stepped back and frowned in embarrassment as he pulled out the mini-book. "I recognized it because I thought about sending it to you as a joke," she wheezed. "I didn't think you'd actually get one for yourself!"

Even though he was thoroughly humiliated, somehow it did his heart good to see her laughing again. "Well a fat lotta good it did me, almost everything in this thing was wrong!" Glaring daggers at the tiny dating manual, he wound up his arm and chucked it over the edge before looking back at the still snickering Misty. "All I wanted to do was make sure this date was the best night of your life." he sighed.

"And how do you think you did Mr. Pokémon Master?"

"Well after all we've been through tonight, I honestly don't know what to think. We started off kinda okay, but then I found out that you've already been to Cerulean Cape a whole bunch of times so that plan didn't work, then I got jealous of Georgio and threw a fit about him, and then there was everything that just happened now! Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you sad Mist? Even _I_ didn't know until just now! I wish-"

"Ash..."

He sighed and looked her in the eyes, and again he saw the raw emotion in them...only this time, he found out what it was like to be looked at by someone who loved him...and that was all he needed to know that with or without a kiss, he'd officially been changed that night. "Yeah Mist?"

"Are you gonna kiss me, or what?"

He smiled and pulled her into his embrace. "Don't have to ask me twice." He kissed her again, this time much softer and gentler as the passion was replaced with a sweet and tender love...something that he knew he'd never get enough of now that he'd gotten a taste of it. When he pulled away again, he smiled down at her as the sunset finally came to an end, leaving them in the coolness of night. "Hey Mist?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't wait for our second date."

"Neither can I Ash." she snuggled into his embrace. "Neither can I."  
_

 **A/N: I think this is one of the best stories I've written in a long time, Holly seems to think so at least and that's truly an amazing honor to me. So tell me what you guys think! Leave a review and it'll eventually come up lol. Let's meet back tomorrow, shall we?**


	5. The More Things Change

**Yeah, I'm late. Sorry! Stuff happened, but we're here now! I'm glad everyone liked the last story and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get the story up on time. But I hope you'll enjoy Day 5's theme regardless. The theme was Sleeping Together, and while everyone went with a slightly more touching approach, Holly and I delved into some humor instead. Enjoy! I own nothing except the story.  
_**

The rain pounded on the window of their Pokémon Center room for the night, acting as a reminder of everything that had transpired just mere hours before for the two Pokémon trainers now laying in their beds. They had gotten lost once more, caught outside in the forest as the brewing storm overhead finally unleashed the tempest it had been holding back for all of a few minutes.

It was a mad dash through the forest to try and find shelter, which they never did find. A backpack full of clothes and supplies was lost, there were scraped knees as the trainers tripped and fell more than once, all the while they were getting poured on by buckets worth of rain every moment.

It was only by sheer luck that they stumbled upon the small town at the edge of the bug-infested forest they'd haplessly wandered into, and it wasn't a pleasant meeting with the Nurse Joy in charge as she scolded them for being caught outside after curfew, coming in and soaking her nice clean floor after her Chansey had worked so hard getting everything spick and span for the next day.

The disgruntled nurse handed them a room key, insisted they get themselves cleaned up and straight to bed, and to be on their way the next morning. She had then turned on her heels with a huff and left without another word. To sum things up, it was an overall miserable night for the two Pokémon trainers...

And yet somehow, Misty Waterflower had never been more giddy in her whole life.

It was so surreal, the night had done everything in its power to ruin everything for her, but she just couldn't bring herself to feel upset about anything that had happened...all because of a five minute conversation she had with her longtime best friend Ash Ketchum, whom she was visiting for a week for a quick tour around Kanto, for old time's sake.

It was during that discussion that feelings had been revealed, as the increasing tension between them over the past few days had suddenly come to a head and led to Ash blurting out everything that was plaguing his mind and heart all in one long, scatterbrained run on sentence. A sentence that when summed up, essentially conveyed a message that she'd been craving to hear ever since she and Ash had become friends.

He liked her.

There was no cliché confession, no formal declaration of his love, it was all just typically Ash in its delivery and she wouldn't have it any other way. She could still feel the warm spark that had entered her heart when she wrapped her arms around Ash, and that spark strengthened into a flame when he wrapped his own arms around her.

And that's when everything went wrong.

Even when she lost most of her clothes in the forest during their escape from the downpour, the smile on her face never left. No amount of water - how ironic, Misty thought - was going to be able to ruin this night for her. Her dream - besides becoming a Water Pokémon Master - had finally come true, and she just couldn't wait until the next day so she could start what she hoped would be a new and improved relationship with Ash.

Which was the cause for her current predicament.

Once they reached the Pokémon Center and finished dealing with the irate Nurse Joy, Ash had unknowingly indulged her in one of her romantic fantasies, offering one of his own t-shirts for her to sleep in. She knew he was just being a nice guy, he was all too aware of the fact that she'd lost her clothes somewhere in the forest, all she had left was a pair of shorts and underwear, and she definitely wasn't going to be seen wearing only a bra. Still, the very idea of wearing one of Ash's shirts to bed made her want to squeal like a little girl, which she almost did when she closed the bathroom door behind her for her shower.

Soon enough she came back out, her shoulder-length hair down and freshly washed after the draining ordeal they'd gone through. Ash and Pikachu were waiting for her, and she couldn't help but smile when she saw the awed expression on Ash's face. It really was adorable, even with his sort of confession, he still had no idea how to react to certain things. Apparently, her wearing his shirt was something he liked without even knowing it, seeing as he was struggling to keep his eyes on her face. When she snapped her fingers in front of his face, he blinked in shock and blushed beet red, hurrying off to the shower and sputtering apologies even after he'd closed the door behind him.

So it was no surprise to the redhead that as soon as Ash came out of the shower, he quickly and somewhat dramatically turned off the room lights, climbed up to the top bunk and uttered a brief goodnight before pulling the covers over himself and going to sleep. This left Misty alone in the dark to reflect on everything that had transpired.

She was happy, there was no doubt about that, in fact she couldn't remember a time when her heart felt so light and free of burden than it did now. But even amidst the swarm of Butterfree in her stomach and the girlish giggling she was desperately trying to suppress, she had also come to the conclusion that Ash's emotional growth wasn't quite ready for another big step forward. He'd already had one by admitting he liked her, and for now that was more than enough...now he needed some reassurance that things weren't going to all of a sudden be even more awkward between them. Then she heard snoring in the bunk above her, and a mischievous smirk spread across her lips as an idea came to her.

What better way to show Ash that they were still best friends than some good old fashioned teasing?

What to do, she wondered to herself, there wasn't exactly a plethora of options to choose from...she briefly considered sneaking into his bed and poking his face until he woke up, but she quickly dismissed it with a roll of her eyes (and a slight blush) that doing so would probably have the opposite effect she was going for. She looked around the room for anything she could use to try and needle at Ash, but their room wasn't exactly stocked with good teasing props. Staring up at the bunk above her for a few moments, she crossed her arms and let out a little disappointed sigh...then her eyes widened as an idea clicked in her mind.

Misty raised her foot and slowly lifted the mattress, quickly bringing it back down which prompted Ash to snort a little as his rest was disturbed before going back to sleep. The redhead giggled quietly at that. Oh yeah, this would work out just fine. Holding back her laughter, Misty again shoved her foot up into the mattress, feeling by the weight above her that she was lifting his lower back into the air, then she quickly dropped it again and this time she heard Ash gasp before giving a sleepy response.

"Misty?"

She quickly turned over onto her stomach and shoved her face into her pillow just in case he leaned over the railing to get a look at her, she wanted so badly to burst into laughter but she knew he wasn't quite to the point where she wanted him to be. _"Hold it in Misty, hold it in!"_ God the urge to laugh was almost unbearable, but somehow she managed to keep her composure, and soon enough she heard Ash reposition himself and try to get back to sleep.

Not on her watch.

Slowly flipping back onto her back so as not to make any noise, she again lifted her foot and pushed up on the mattress, this time a little higher than before and she snickered when she heard Pikachu stirring before Ash did.

"Pikachupi?"

"Misty wt'r you doing?"

She quickly withdrew her foot and closed her eyes, trying to act like she was asleep to the best of her ability but the temptation to burst into laughter was only growing stronger...especially when Ash called her bluff.

"Misty I know you're not asleep, what's the big idea?"

Misty refused to move. _"Smirk and it's over,"_ she thought to herself. _"I just need one more chance before I own up to it."_

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she sensed Ash leaning over the top bunk to give her a scrutinizing glare, but eventually she heard the mattress above her shift again as Ash laid back down. "Some things never change." she heard him grumble.

Perfect. The redhead finally allowed herself to beam brightly as she raised her foot once more, this time swiftly lifting the mattress and inadvertently causing Pikachu to bounce a few inches up into the air.

"Misty!"

This time she didn't even bother trying to hide, instead just looking him in the eye with an impish grin. "What?"

"Why are you shoving your foot into my back?! We're trying to sleep here!"

She didn't flinch and looked at him with a completely straight face. "And I'm just trying to do my nightly aerobics, I don't stay in this kinda shape by eating hamburgers every day ya know, maybe you should lay off of those things for a while, I'm getting more of a workout than I thought I would."

"Nightly...aerobics..." he sneered at her. "Since _when?!"_

"Since a while ago," Misty pouted at him. "You wouldn't want me to get all flabby would you?"

"I-" Ash quickly bit his tongue and slammed back onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling with his arms crossed and a blush across his face. "Never mind," he growled. "Just get it over with so we can go to sleep."

"If you say so!" Misty giggled and continued lifting the mattress up and down, while the whole time Ash just waited with his finger tapping on his arm. "Oh yeah, I'm feelin' the burn! My glutes'll thank me for this later!"

"If you say so."

"Don't worry Ash," the redhead giggled. "Just 100 more reps and I'll be done."

"Wh-Misty! 100?!"

"99, 98, 97..."

"I can't believe this, you're being ridiculous!"

 _"You're_ being uncooperative, the longer you complain, the longer it takes for me to finish."

"Pikapi, pika pika Pikachupi pika."

"What?! No I'm not gonna just let her finish, I'm tired and I wanna go to sleep! She doesn't even _need_ the exercise!"

"Aww, you're so sweet Ash." she giggled again when she heard Ash sputter in embarrassment and slam his back into the mattress. "Alright, where was I?"

"I just want you to know, you're nuts."

"Love you too Ash." she smiled when there was no response, judging by his attitude, the perfect balance had been attained. "Now then, 94, 93, 92-"

"I'm gonna come down there and _make_ you stop."

"Pikapi..."

"You can't _make_ me do anything, never have and you never will!"

"Pikachupi!"

"All I wanna do is sleep, is that so wrong?"

"No, it most certainly is not!" Both Ash and Misty blanched in horror, as Nurse Joy was standing there with a very grumpy look on her face. "You've caused nothing but trouble since you arrived, now be quiet and let the rest of the Pokémon Center get some sleep!"

The door was slammed and the room was again shrouded in total darkness. "Well..." Misty sweat-dropped, "Looks like I'm done then."

Ash just sighed and leaned over the railing, giving his best friend a tired and exasperated smile. "Goodnight Misty...and...thanks."

Misty gasped a little and then relinquished a smile of her own. "Figured it out huh?"

"Yeah, I think I _needed_ that too."

"Glad I could help." she nodded once and pulled the covers over her, snuggling into her pillow before looking up at Ash again. "We'll figure this out Ash, no matter what. It can only go up from here."

"You're right."

"Of course I'm right." she smirked at him before her expression turned warm. "We'll talk in the morning. For now, let's get some sleep."

Ash sighed in relief. "Finally."

Misty watched as Ash disappeared from over the railing and the mattress above her shifted once more, showing that Ash had laid back down and was now getting cozy. "Goodnight Ashy..." she whispered as her eyes fluttered closed. "Sweet dreams." The redhead smiled warmly, and as she drifted off, she dreamed of a time when she and Ash would be able to move past the need to have these types of reassurances...a time when they might even be able to cuddle close on stormy nights like tonight...hopefully, not too far into the future.  
_

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed that, it was one of the more fun stories I got to write. Now if you'll excuse me, gotta prepare the next one!**


	6. How They Work

**What's this? Two stories in one day?! Well...I have to play catch up, and I'll be playing catch up again after tomorrow. The story and the art for Day 6 aren't done.**

 **"But EP, isn't THIS Day 6?"**

 **Ahh, excellent observation. Yes, it is Day 6. But we're not done with Day 6, so we're giving you Day 7's theme to make up for it until it is done. The theme is "Life as a couple," so prepare for some insight on the life of Ash and Misty Ketchum. With art as usual from HollyLu on her Tumblr. Go see it! I own nothing except the story.  
_**

Do you know what it's like to be married? What it's like to share your life with another person? It's a difficult endeavor and there is - unfortunately - no such thing as a perfect relationship. There are always a few lows to go with the highs, always cons to go with the pros, and fights that happen for whatever reason to match the times of joy.

The key to a successful relationship is communication, compromise and above all, never letting the love shared between the two people die out. Not necessarily the romantic, passionate love, but the love shared between best friends that just can't imagine living without each other despite all odds. Take for example the lives of Ash and Misty Ketchum, two newlyweds who have quickly found out that no matter how much they love each other, married life is no bed of roses.

Or waterflowers, as the case may be.

Ever since their childhood days, the two bickered and fought over every little thing, and guess what? In the end they always went back to being best friends, because that was just how they worked, and it carried over into their marriage and their new everyday lives.

Their days start off simple enough, they wake up with smiles on their faces and get ready for what's ahead. For Misty, it's another day as the Gym Leader of Cerulean City. For Ash, it's training and working towards his long-term goal of becoming a Pokémon Master, while simultaneously working as the newest Frontier Brain for Kanto's Battle Frontier. There are bills to pay after all, and a Gym Leader's salary isn't really enough to raise a family, so Ash took it upon himself to take the ever-standing offer to become a Frontier Brain to help make ends meet.

On days when they're feeling particularly...amorous, like newlywed couples tend to be, they may elect to take a shower together and...revel in each other, as newlywed couples tend to do. But this is Ash and Misty, and anyone who knows them knows that this state of bliss won't last for long. Eventually something will happen that will get them bickering and pretty darn close to each other's throats, and not even in a good way.

That starts almost immediately after their morning shower.

Once they're dried off it goes from an intimate moment to a mad dash for the lone sink as they fight to see who gets first dibs on using the all too small appliance. Naturally, this turns into a shoving match between them with some muffled shouts of frustration as Misty tries to brush her teeth while her elbows fly to keep her husband from wasting precious time with his irrational idea that he needs to shave despite not having any hair whatsoever, and sometimes she makes contact with his nose leading to an instant victor, at the cost of some wounded pride and maybe even a little blood.

Not that it lasts of course, it's just how these two work.

But you know the craziest thing about marrying your best friend? It's that no matter how much you think you know the other person, there's still plenty more to learn, and it isn't always good things. Shortly after they married, both Ash and Misty found out things about each other that drives them absolutely crazy.

For Misty, there are only three things in the world she fears, and everyone knows them. Carrots, peppers and bugs are never to set foot in their house under any circumstances, unless it's one of Ash's Pokémon. That was a compromise Ash had to make since he had come to love both vegetables.

But there are a lot more things that makes Misty angry, and one of the things she didn't see coming was Ash's horrible habit of drinking...directly from the milk carton. The first morning she caught him chugging down milk from the carton, she froze in place and her brain stopped processing for a moment...until she screamed.

Ash nearly shot milk out of his nose from the shock, and for the next five minutes he endured a tirade from his wife about why drinking from the carton is not only a thousand different kinds of wrong, but it's also gross beyond belief. It only drove Misty even more crazy when her points about what happens when company comes over and the disgusting issue of backwash seemed to fly right over her husband's thick head. She stormed out of the kitchen with a huff and spent the next couple of hours trying to calm herself down. Ash just put the milk away and decided to get on with his morning training.

Of course, she got over it after a while, it was just how they worked.

Then there are some things Misty does that throws off Ash's groove, which he didn't realize she did until they started living together full time. Ash Ketchum was never known as the most organized individual in the world, but he somehow always knew what he was doing and where whatever he needed at the time was. His room growing up - when it wasn't being cleaned by his mother or Mr. Mime - was what one might call a disaster zone, with phrases like "it looks like a tornado came through here" being thrown around on a regular basis. But he always knew where everything was and he liked it that way.

And shortly after their marriage, Ash found out Misty was a neat freak. It had been such a shock to his system too. He was just coming in after a hard morning of training with Pikachu and his recently evolved Garchomp, and he was walking upstairs to his home office to check for any messages from Scott - the owner of the Kanto Battle Frontier - about potential challengers and also to catch up on some overdue paperwork...Ash hated paperwork more than anything else and Scott had gotten on him more than once about his lackadaisical approach towards getting it done.

He had reached the final step and that's when he felt a chill go down his spine. His office, which at one point had everything in a place where he knew where it was, was now almost spotless. The floor was clean, cabinets were closed and any laundry that had piled up was mysteriously absent...someone had come into his office and committed a neatness! Then his eyes caught the ever-familiar (and undeniably hot, he never failed to note no matter what) figure of his wife Misty standing in front of his desk, and a cold sweat formed on his brow.

She was on the phone talking to someone - presumably his mother - and in her hands was a stack of papers that she was in the process of straightening out. She had cleaned his desk, ruining his system and forcing him to find everything all over again before Scott inevitably called him again to ask for a status report. So what else could he do but scream?

Misty nearly dropped the phone from the shock, and for the next five minutes she endured a rant - after Delia had decided to hang up after hearing her son's outburst of course - from her husband about why moving stuff around without asking him is not only a thousand different kinds of wrong, but it also throws his whole way of thinking off. It only drove Ash even more crazy when his points about how his system worked seemed to fly right over his wife's hot head and she argued that his system wasn't really a system. He stormed out of the office with a huff and spent the next couple of hours trying to explain to Scott why his next report would be late this time. Misty just sighed and decided to head to the Gym to get her day started.

Of course, he got over it after a while, it was just how they worked.

Yes they regularly got into arguments with each other, yes they got on each other's last nerve on a daily - and sometimes even hourly basis, but what couple doesn't get into battles like this? That's just the reality of love and marriage, it's not easy, and it comes with a lot of stress and sometimes even anger, but do you know why Ash and Misty are the perfect example of what a marriage should look like? Because even after all the battles, the bickering and the arguing and sometimes even unbridled rage...when the day ends and they find themselves alone together, they make up and spend some quality time together, whether it's as best friends or lovers - and sometimes even both.

No matter how often they fight, they both know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they love each other with their whole hearts, and when the going gets tough, there's no one they can count on more than each other. Once the day's tasks are over, they cuddle up on the couch and let the stress melt away in each other's loving embrace.

It's really a beautiful thing to see when you think about it. Here are two people who - despite all odds - have an undying commitment and devotion to one another. That kind of relationship is almost unheard of in today's day and age, and here are Ash and Misty Ketchum, two people who can't see themselves with anyone else.

They're partners in battle, partners in life, and most importantly they'll be partners until death do they part. That is what relationships and marriage is all about. Loving each other, comforting each other, solving problems together and getting through whatever challenges life throws at you as a team. That fits Ash and Misty to a tee.

The dedication they have for each other, emotionally, mentally and yes, even physically, is unmatched in this world. And when the lights go out and they're left alone, they get to revel in each other making the problems of life disappear entirely. Well, except for when one specific phrase occasionally gets thrown out and ruins Ash's night.

"Not tonight Ash, I have a headache."

But he'll get over it, just like they get over everything else. After all, it's just how they work.  
_

 **A/N: So yeah, that's it for now. Sorry I don't have everything ready, but I got sidetracked. I'll try to have the last theme up as soon as I can though. In the meantime, happy Pokeshipping week!**


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